Hudson hangs up whistle as Alabama women's basketball coach

Wendell Hudson is no longer the Alabama women’s basketball coach and has been reassigned to administration duties inside the UA athletic department. He took over the Crimson Tide program in 2008 and had an overall record of 68-87.

Michelle Lepianka Carter

By Tommy DeasExecutive Sports Editor

Published: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, April 22, 2013 at 10:16 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | After five seasons, Wendell Hudson will no longer be head women’s basketball coach at the University of Alabama. Hudson has been reassigned to administration within the UA Department of Athletics.

The Crimson Tide went 13-17 in 2012-13, leaving Hudson with a 68-87 record. His teams went a combined 14-65 in Southeastern Conference play, winning two or fewer league games in three seasons. Alabama went 18-15 in 2010-11, making it to the quarterfinal round of the Women’s NIT, in Hudson’s best season.

“Today’s decision is a mutual one between Wendell and me,” athletics director Bill Battle said. “We have had several discussions over the last few weeks that led to this decision. Wendell has been an excellent ambassador for Alabama Athletics for many years and I am pleased that he will continue to serve in that manner for us while also contributing to our ongoing mission in a variety of other ways as well.”

Hudson, 62, played basketball at Alabama as the school’s first scholarship African-American athlete, earning SEC Player of the Year honors in 1973 and attaining All-America status. He served as an associate athletics director from 2003-08.

“I want to thank the University for the opportunity to help rebuild the women’s basketball program over the last five years,” Hudson said. “I am particularly thankful for the efforts of the young ladies that competed for us these last five seasons, in addition to the dedication of the coaches that have worked on our staff and the many people throughout the University that have provided such tremendous support over the years. I look forward to continuing to serve my school in a productive way over the next few years.”

With Hudson stepping down, new UA Athletics Director Bill Battle will be making the first coaching hire of his tenure.

The hottest possible candidate Alabama could pursue would be Louisville coach Jeff Walz, just off a runner-up finish in the NCAA Tournament, but he would likely be out of UA’s price range. Walz’s salary is $775,0000, considerably more than the $300,000 Hudson was making in a contract that runs through 2016. Walz also recently told the Louisville Courier-Journal that he intends to stay at Louisville after his name surfaced as a possible candidate for the Ohio State job.

If Battle wants to look within the Alabama women’s basketball family, he can find several candidates.

Madonna Thompson, head coach at Shelton State, is coming off a 33-1 season and quarterfinal finish at the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament. She has guided Shelton State to the national tournament in seven of the last eight seasons. Thompson played on UA’s 1993-94 team that made it to the Final Four.

Another former Alabama player, Sandra Rushing, has won more than 400 games in her 24 seasons, including a 10-year stint at Delta State where her teams made it to the NCAA Division II Final Four twice and averaged more than 25 wins. She is coming off a 15-15 season in her first year at Central Arkansas, and also previously served as head coach at UTEP.

Brittney Ezell, a former Crimson Tide point guard, is coming off an 18-14 season in her third year at Belmont. She also served as head coach at Montevallo and at Okaloosa-Walton Community College in Florida, and has had stops as an assistant at Alabama and Nebraska.

Betsy Harris, who played at Alabama, has gone 43-19 in two seasons at Coastal Georgia, an NAIA school that hired her to restart its women’s basketball program.

Joni Crenshaw, who spent one season as an assistant to Hudson, has been at Georgia for the last two seasons, including an Elite Eight run in 2012-13. She has also coached at LSU, Louisiana Tech and Troy.

Some coaches at successful mid-major programs who may merit attention are Samford’s Mike Morris, Drexel’s Denise Dillon, Florida Gulf Coast’s Karl Smesko, Toledo’s Tricia Cullop, James Madison’s Kenny Brooks and Middle Tennessee’s Rick Insell. Another intriguing candidate would be Mike Divilbiss, an assistant coach at Illinois who was previously head coach at Idaho and who was the staff at Green Bay over a four-year period where the school went 122-13.

<p>TUSCALOOSA | After five seasons, Wendell Hudson will no longer be head women's basketball coach at the University of Alabama. Hudson has been reassigned to administration within the UA Department of Athletics.</p><p>The Crimson Tide went 13-17 in 2012-13, leaving Hudson with a 68-87 record. His teams went a combined 14-65 in Southeastern Conference play, winning two or fewer league games in three seasons. Alabama went 18-15 in 2010-11, making it to the quarterfinal round of the Women's NIT, in Hudson's best season.</p><p>“Today's decision is a mutual one between Wendell and me,” athletics director Bill Battle said. “We have had several discussions over the last few weeks that led to this decision. Wendell has been an excellent ambassador for Alabama Athletics for many years and I am pleased that he will continue to serve in that manner for us while also contributing to our ongoing mission in a variety of other ways as well.”</p><p>Hudson, 62, played basketball at Alabama as the school's first scholarship African-American athlete, earning SEC Player of the Year honors in 1973 and attaining All-America status. He served as an associate athletics director from 2003-08.</p><p>“I want to thank the University for the opportunity to help rebuild the women's basketball program over the last five years,” Hudson said. “I am particularly thankful for the efforts of the young ladies that competed for us these last five seasons, in addition to the dedication of the coaches that have worked on our staff and the many people throughout the University that have provided such tremendous support over the years. I look forward to continuing to serve my school in a productive way over the next few years.”</p><p>With Hudson stepping down, new UA Athletics Director Bill Battle will be making the first coaching hire of his tenure.</p><p>The hottest possible candidate Alabama could pursue would be Louisville coach Jeff Walz, just off a runner-up finish in the NCAA Tournament, but he would likely be out of UA's price range. Walz's salary is $775,0000, considerably more than the $300,000 Hudson was making in a contract that runs through 2016. Walz also recently told the Louisville Courier-Journal that he intends to stay at Louisville after his name surfaced as a possible candidate for the Ohio State job.</p><p>If Battle wants to look within the Alabama women's basketball family, he can find several candidates.</p><p>Madonna Thompson, head coach at Shelton State, is coming off a 33-1 season and quarterfinal finish at the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament. She has guided Shelton State to the national tournament in seven of the last eight seasons. Thompson played on UA's 1993-94 team that made it to the Final Four.</p><p>Another former Alabama player, Sandra Rushing, has won more than 400 games in her 24 seasons, including a 10-year stint at Delta State where her teams made it to the NCAA Division II Final Four twice and averaged more than 25 wins. She is coming off a 15-15 season in her first year at Central Arkansas, and also previously served as head coach at UTEP.</p><p>Brittney Ezell, a former Crimson Tide point guard, is coming off an 18-14 season in her third year at Belmont. She also served as head coach at Montevallo and at Okaloosa-Walton Community College in Florida, and has had stops as an assistant at Alabama and Nebraska.</p><p>Betsy Harris, who played at Alabama, has gone 43-19 in two seasons at Coastal Georgia, an NAIA school that hired her to restart its women's basketball program.</p><p>Joni Crenshaw, who spent one season as an assistant to Hudson, has been at Georgia for the last two seasons, including an Elite Eight run in 2012-13. She has also coached at LSU, Louisiana Tech and Troy.</p><p>Some coaches at successful mid-major programs who may merit attention are Samford's Mike Morris, Drexel's Denise Dillon, Florida Gulf Coast's Karl Smesko, Toledo's Tricia Cullop, James Madison's Kenny Brooks and Middle Tennessee's Rick Insell. Another intriguing candidate would be Mike Divilbiss, an assistant coach at Illinois who was previously head coach at Idaho and who was the staff at Green Bay over a four-year period where the school went 122-13.</p><p>Reach Tommy Deas at tommy@tidesports.com or at 205-722-0224.</p>